Weathered
by Dark Fate
Summary: Vegeta contemplates his life the night after the Cell Games... V/B stuff *Songfic*


I lie awake on a long, dark night 

_I can't seem to tame my mind_

_Slings and arrows are killing me inside_

_Maybe I can't accept the life that's mine_

_No I can't accept the life that's mine_

__

Kakarott, you've done it again. You've taken away the honor that I thought to be my own. Such a noble sacrifice. It was in vain, but your hybrid spawn saw to it that your work was finished. Something I, your prince, couldn't do, I think bitterly to myself.

I stare out my window wondering whether you're looking down on me with that idiotic smile that you always kept plastered to your face. How I long to beat it off. Now my chance to do so is gone. Forever. After all, you are dead now, and I can hardly be expected to beat you to a bloody pulp when you and I are in separate dimensions.

You always do this. Every time I reach a new level of power, you surpass me either with your strength or your infinite fucking kindness. You've done the unacceptable. You gave up your life on a gamble so that my life and all other life on this filthy rock might be saved from total annihilation. 

Simple living is my desperate cry 

_Been trading love with indifference yeah it suits me just fine_

_I try to hold on but I'm calloused to the bone_

_Maybe that's why I feel alone_

_Maybe that's why I feel so alone_

__

I don't know why I stay here on this puny mud ball…. No, maybe that's not completely true…. My son… I must watch over him and make sure that he is raised the proper way. The woman--- Bulma would not see it as important to have him trained in the correct way.

Bulma… She cares about me. Hn. I don't understand quite why that is so. I treated her very badly, yet she refused to give up on me. She STILL remains adamant on not giving up on me even though I continue to refuse to sleep in the same room with her.

My pride stands between us like one of those human-made brick walls. Although, she, out of all the females I have ever known, has found the crack in the barrier, and she has considerably widened it. I have allowed myself to grow closer to this frail human than I have ever been to any being. One might even call it the beginnings of love.

Is love even possible for me, of all people in the universe? Is it conceivable for me to love another person? Kakarott's friends seem to think that I am not capable of this emotion. Not that this brings any concern to me. I could care less what those idiots think of me.

Me… I'm rusted and weathered 

_Barely holding together_

_I'm covered with skin that peels and it just won't heal_

__

I doubt that I'll be seeing much of them anymore. Well, all of them except for the human Yamcha. He still lives here for some reason. I do not understand why Bulma still allows him to take up residence here. More so, I don't know why I haven't simply killed the weakling.

I know why he wishes to reside here. He is still deluding himself that he is still with Bulma. The idiotic fool… She is my mate now, and he can't seem to accept that.

My mate… How odd it is to catch myself thinking that when I don't even lie down to sleep with her by my side. In the past, I hadn't ever even pondered having a mate. Conquest was my goal back then, not a frivolous relationship.

Of course, this came as a total surprise to me. I never truly expected to develop affection for the weak human woman, much less letting it get THIS far.

The sun shines and I can't avoid the light 

_I think I'm holding on to life too tight_

_Ashes to ashes and dust to dust_

_Sometimes I feel like giving up_

_Sometimes I feel like giving up_

__

The sound of my son crying reaches my ears. Wearily, I push myself up off of my bed. It would be best for my to tend to the boy before Bulma wakes up. The last thing I need now is for her to be awakened at this time of the night. Being woke up like that normally meant that she would be on the warpath all day.

I quietly open the door and walk silently down the hall to my son's room. I enter to see him lying in the crib, screaming his little Demi-Saiyajin lungs out. It was apparent from the lack of the stench of feces in the air that the boy was hungry.

I walk slowly across the room and lift the child into my arms and his cries immediately decrease in magnitude as his bright azure eyes curiously inspect the person holding him.

"Hush, Trunks, I'll feed you," I whisper, hoping and trying to sound soothing and comforting.

Me… I'm rusted and weathered 

_Barely holding together_

_I'm covered with skin that peels and it just won't heal_

__

His cries quickly wane to constant sniffles and occasional whines as I try to get him downstairs as quickly as possible without startling him.

I prepare a bottle of milk for the boy as I had seen Bulma do many, many times. It is much harder to do than it looks. Especially when you have a crying, impatient child in your arms while you try to do it.

I briefly wish that Bulma had allowed him to keep his tail when he becomes overly impatient with me and begins to cry again. I do not know any other way, except by speech, to comfort a child other than stroking the tail. And talking was NOT helping here.

By the time I get the bottle into his mouth, I am pretty sure that Bulma has awoken. I can hear small shuffling sounds from upstairs.

I slowly and silently carry the boy back up the stairs and to his room. I can feel the eyes on my back as I put the child back in the crib with his bottle.

The day reminds me of you 

_The night hides your truth_

_The earth is a voice_

_Speaking to you_

__

I whirl quickly and quietly around to face the person behind me, and cobalt eyes meet my own as I stare at her.

"Vegeta… What's wrong with him?" Bulma asks.

"The boy was hungry so I fed him," I reply gruffly.

"_You _actually managed the patience to wait for the milk to warm up?"  
I scowl at the insult. "Yes." I try to brush past her to leave the room, but she grabs my arm.

"Vegeta…" Her voice is so very soft. "Do you have to go back to that room?"

The blatant invitation shocks me. I certainly didn't expect that. I open my mouth to refuse. Then I make the mistake of staring into those cerulean orbs that silently pleaded with me to do the opposite.

Take all this pride 

_And leave it behind_

_Because one day it ends_

_One day we die_

__

"No, I don't," I reply slowly, surrendering to my feelings.

The smile that graces her face is enough to brighten the darkest of places. "I'm glad you don't"

I follow her to her room and slip into the bed with her, holding her close. I know now that I cannot ignore these emotions. If I do, they will destroy me. It is useless to ignore the truth.

Bulma curls up closer to me, and I realize that I must enjoy this while I can. She will not live as long as I will. For now, I content myself with breathing her scent deep and listening to her heartbeat as sleep finally claims me.


End file.
